Island



(No Model.)

B.ARNOLD.

FOOT BALL.

8.. 9 00 1 2 1 r p A d e t n 6 t a P Inventor.

Witnesses de/ rzd UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN ARNOLD, OF EAST GREENWICH, RHODE ISLAND.

FOOT-BALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,294, dated April 12, 1898. Ais ncanifileapctobers, 1897. Serial No. 654,502. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN ARNOLD, of East Greenwich, in the county of Kent and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Balls and the Like; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to the mode of constructing foot-balls andthe like.

The object of the invention is to construct a ball that will be capable of being inflated by the hands without the use of any other extraneous meanssuch as blowing up with the mouthwith or without the help of a tube, which is so liable to be lost or mislaidand that will be capable of being still more inflated and kept so by the operation of kicking the ball when in use. It is fully explained and illustrated in this specification and the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a representation of the ball in elevation with the inflating side in front. Fig. 2 is a Vertical section of the ball taken through its center on line 00 min Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the ball turned over a quarter-turn to the right, with the representation in elevation of. a foot kicking the ball to show the operation of the inflating de- Vices. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively top and side views of the spring used in the inflatingchamber.

This invention is intended to apply more especially to the ordinary rubber foot-ball, (represented in the drawings by the letter A.)

The improvement consists in putting a partition a. in the ball at one side to form a chamber o. The partition a is preferably made of the same shape and material as that portion of the ball that forms the outer side of the chamber and is made air-tight, except as to the valves cl 6 in both of its sides. These valves both open inwardly-the Valve 01 into the chamber 0 and the valve 6 into the inside of the ball. A double involute spring n (shown separately in Figs. 4 and 5, top and side views, respectively) is placed in the chamber 0 to keep its sides apart when not forcibly driven together, as in Fig. 3.

The operation is this: When the outer wall of the chamber 0 is tapped with the fingers quickly and with some force, the outer wall will be pushed in more or less and the air in the chamber will be forced through the valve 6 into the ball, and will be prevented from returning by the closing of the Valve. Then the spring n will push the outer wall out to its normal position again, drawing the air from the outside in through the valve d to refill the chamber, and as the air is prevented by the valve from escaping outward a succession of the taps on the outer wall will pump in air into the ball until it is filled. In playing with the ball whenever the toe of the boot I) incidentally or purposely strikes the outer wall of the chamber 0, as in Fig. 3, the

air will in like manner be forced from the chamber, by the pushing in of the outer wall, into the ball until the pressure in the ball becomes so great as to prevent any more air from entering. In this way instead of the ball growing slack and flabby in playing it will, even if slack at the start, be pumped up tight, and the air injected will also have the advantage over the heated breath with which a ball is usually inflated in not being subject to shrinkage from cooling.

The shape and position of the chamber may be varied and there may be more than one, and also the position of the valves and the kind of spring used, so long as the parts act together substantially as set forth.

The invention is also applicable to air cushions and beds and other like articles the usefulness of which depends on inflation.

Having thus described my improvements, I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent In a foot-ball orlike body, a partition placed across from side to side in the ball and attached thereto at its edges, to form a chamber the outer wall of which will be flexible and easily depressed, a valve in the outer wall of said chamber opening into it, a valve in the inner wall of the chamber opening into the ball, a spring to press the outer and the inner walls apart, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof vI have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of October, A. D. 1897.

BENJAMIN ARNOLD. In presence of- HOWARD E. BARLOW, J AMES E. ARNOLD. 

